Kreyos Meteor is the smarter smartwatch

While Apple has been busy jetsetting around the globe trademarking "iWatch" in every country it can think of, other companies are beavering away on their own smartwatches – and raising the bar that Apple will have to jump over.

The latest of these clever timekeepers is the Kreyos Meteor - a crowdfunded project that lets you waft your way about your digital activities thanks to a three axis gyroscope and a microphone-speaker combo.

Look, Ma! No hands!

The Kreyos Meteor will do all the things you've come to expect from a smartwatch: notifications for e-mails and text messages, plus exercise tracking – including distance travelled, floors climbed and calories burned. It'll even occasionally tell you the time - but it's also a hands-free device for interacting with your phone.

You can answer calls with an extravagant wrist wiggle (or a press of a button if you're feeling retro) and you'll be able to speak through the watch without delving into the depths of your pockets in search of your phone, just like Dick Tracy. The same goes for the Meteor's voice controlled software, so you can now quiz Siri on whatever takes your fancy while running, driving or juggling. Useful.

You can also use the motion controls to change music tracks with a swish of the arm – though that might prove a bit annoying when you're on your morning jog.

The Kreyos Meteor is waterproof – and as well as being worn on the wrist, it can be popped in a clip or lanyard. It'll work as a pedometer, cycling tracker and swimming tracker, and Kreyos promises that it'll soon be able to analyse golf swings, too. It'll also play nice with third-party apps, and will integrate with Bluetooth and ANT+ sensors for tracking heart rate and blood pressure.

With 15 days left on the Indiegogo funding clock, the Kreyos Meteor has made nearly nine times its US$100,000 target – look out, Pebble – there's a new rock star in town.